"Let's continue forward then, there's no space to fight them in this hallway, we need more room." Tilo leads the way straight down the hallway (to the east), keeping his senses open to detect any threats, undead or otherwise.

Perception: 17

Artus looks at Tilo, "I agree, we need more space if we are going to fight...." Artus turns and looks at the rest, "how does this path look,"  pointing down the south hall. When he turns back, TIlo has already started down the east hallway.

As you make your way east you come to a large room. This room is festooned with moldy skeletons that hang from rusty shackles against the walls. A wide alcove in the east wall contains a painted wooden statue carved in the likeness of a gaunt, pale-faced man wearing a voluminous black cloak, his pale left hand resting on the head of a wolf that stands next to him. In his right hand, he holds a smoky-gray crystal orb.

The room has exits in the west and south walls. You came through the western exit. You notice the Ghouls run through the southern passageway.

OOC: Do we recognize the man?

Quote from DirtyDogP >>

OOC: Do we recognize the man?

Andrei grunts.

"More of this guy. Well, should we follow the ghouls, or wait for them to come back?"

"This looks like a good place to fight. We can put our backs to the statues and be able to watch both entrances. Wanna take a short rest here? Artus looks hurt pretty bad, he can patch up and if they come we can control the battlefield."

Artus looks at Tilo, "A rest would be nice, that shambler did a number on me." He sits with a loud thud and lays his axe out in front of him. "Anyone want to sit with me? I think we can wait here for those ghouls to find us when we're ready..."

Andrei does not sit or let go of his ice ax.

"A rest is fine, but stay ready."

As you sit and rest for a spell you think you hear fighting coming from the southern corridor where the ghouls went but it stops rather suddenly. An hour goes by and the Ghouls never return. Feeling rested (you got your short rest and can use hit dice if you have any left) you get up and look around the room before figuring out what to do. The wooden statue of Strahd looming above you. 

Reggie has been very restless during the hour rest. He has been pacing, his swords in his hands the whole time. If anyone says anything to him, he ignores them. At the sounds of fighting, he looks like he wants to go to it, but he doesn't say anything about it and doesn't leave the room; he's like a tied-up dog. Finally, at the end of the hour, when the others begin to act as though they've rested enough, Reggie jerks his head toward the south. "Let's check out this corridor," he grunts. He starts off on his own, but then catches himself and stops. He leans up against the wall, looking at the floor, and waits for Tilo to go by first, then steps in behind the scout.

Andrei looks around at the others.

"Something's happened," he says.

"Well, we'd better get going. That way?" he asks, pointing with his ice ax towards the south door.

As you turn the corner of the southern opening there is a 10-foot long hallway that leads to a door. The ghouls lay dead in front of the door.

Reggie walks over and stabs each of the ghouls. When he gets to the last one, he not only stabs it, but he twists the blade as well.

Andrei looks for anything extraordinary as he walks towards the door, stepping around ghoul corpses.

Perception: 8

The ghouls are dead, Reggie's blade slides in no problem and they do not budge.

Andrei looks around the area and doesn't notice anything special except the two dead ghouls.

Artus looks around, "That was odd... there's some dead ghouls but nothing to say what killed them." He is leaning on his axe.

Short rest Hit dice: 6

Reggie walks over and places an ear against the door.

Investigation: 15

Atrus(11/23), Reggie (10/20), Andrei (20/20), Lando (17/17) Tilo (17/17), Mimic(?)

Artus is up.

As Reggie sticks his ear to the door to take a listen he gets stuck (DC 13 Strength check to escape) to it by some really sticky adhesive. Out of nowhere a giant mouth opens up in the middle of the door and chomps on Reggies arm. (4 piercing, 2 acid=6 damage)

Artus jumps back as the door grows its giant set of teeth and chomps down on Reggie. He pulls out a javelin and hurls it at the door.

Javelin: Attack: 26 Damage: 8